A New Beginning
by adinfinitum15
Summary: After the war, Harry and his friends travel back in time to change the future. Harry adopts Tom Riddle and raises him with the help of Ron and Hermione, as well as everyone's favorite house elf Dobby.
1. Chapter 1

Fan fiction: A Second Chance

Ch. 1

Tom Riddle was bent down on his knees in the dusty room that he shared with five of the other boys in the orphanage, dusting his small collection of trophies. They weren't real trophies; the kind people get after winning a contest. Tom's trophies were an odd collection of knick-knacks that he had taken from other orphans, usually in the spirit of revenge. He looked around the room, observing the dirt and the mess. He was the only one who tried to keep his part clean. Glancing outside, he watched the other children play outside, laughing and joking as they chased each other. Stupid children, he thought, as he grabbed a worn history book out from under his bed and began to read.

He was engrossed in the French Revolution when the door opened. Ms. Cole, who ran the shack that she called and orphanage, sat down on his bed and took the book out of your hands.

" Tom, a man is here to see you. Change into these clothes so you'll at least look decent for him."

He was stunned. No one ever came to visit him anymore, not since he was younger. He wondered who it was that would want to see him. Did they know about his powers? Tom was immediately on guard. Ms. Cole shoved some clean clothes into his arms and waited outside as he changed. He wordlessly followed her to the rooms where parents waited to meet prospective children, his eyes scanning his surroundings. She opened the door and he immediately saw him.

Tom had dreamed of having parents. His father look just like him, except older and wise. He would be wealthy and influential, the most powerful man in the community. His mother would be beautiful and kind, but intelligent. Together, his parents would give him a high social status and they would teach him to be just like them. The man in front of him was nothing like his father. This man was short and lean. His skin was pale, but it wasn't sickly looking. His hair was jet black and wild. Tom could see the edge of what looked like a scar on his forehead behind a lock of hair. The thing Tom noticed most were the man's eyes, which were hidden behind a pair of circular glasses. The man looked young, about eighteen or twenty, but his eyes were full of things of the past. His clothes were ordinary, nothing that told Tom that the man was rich.

" Tom, this is Harry Peverell."

Tom looked at the man.

" It appears that Harry is a cousin of yours who lived in France…is that right Harry?" Ms. Cole asked.

" Yeah that right. My parents lived in a town outside of Paris, along the Seine."

Tom immediately noticed that Harry's accent was British and felt immediately violated.

" If you're from France, then why do you speak in a British accent?" Tom snarled. Ms. Cole glared at him, disgusted by Tom's rudeness. She immediately smacked him on the behind and hissed at him to behave. Harry, however, didn't seem to be bothered by the question or Tom's accusatory tone.

" My parents lived and France and that was where I was raised. However, my godfather here taught me after I turned eleven after my parents died. I moved to France for about two years after I turned seventeen, where I became fascinated with my family history. I came here to find you after I learned that you lived in an orphanage." Harry looked Tom in the eye, hoping that the boy would believe his lies.

Tom felt uneasy about the man, tempted to tell him to sod off. He waited though to see what he wanted though, before he escaped back into his room.

" Why did you come to see me?" Tom asked, knowing for sure that the man just wanted to talk briefly to him and leave. A man of his age wouldn't come to adopt him. He wasn't stupid enough to have hope for a family, but he was interested to see what the man knew of his parents.

" I was hoping that you would come live with me." Harry said simply as he began to sign the adoption papers. " I'm lonely living by myself. Even though my friends are here, I would like to have a family."

Tom was taken by surprise, which he hated. He felt like he was being manipulated. He was about to decline when he glanced out the window and saw Billy Stubbs, a kid he abhorred, and the other kids whom he didn't like either. It was either Harry or Wool's Orphanage. Running the pros and cons of living with Harry in his head, Tom looked at Harry. Harry glanced up at him, and he nodded his head yes.


	2. Chapter 2

A Second Chance: Chapter 2

Disclaimer for This Chapter and Chapter 1: I do not own any of the characters or places created by J.K. Rowling, which includes Harry, Tom, Ron, Hermione, Dobby, and Mrs. Cole, as well as all others. I also do not make a profit off of this.

*Author's Note: Dobby hasn't died in this world; however, he is the only one who will be alive that died in the books. I also noticed that I used the wrong suffix for Mrs. Cole in chapter 1. *

Harry looked at Tom, who was trailing behind him as they went to the Leakey Cauldron to use to the floo system. Tom had never been exposed to magic before, so Harry didn't want to introduce it to him by apparition or port key. The floo was bad enough on the stomach; apparition would be too harsh, and the port key would be almost unbearable.

It felt odd to do this, to be manipulated by Dumbledore even when he was dead. Hermione had encouraged him and Ron to help her sort through Dumbledore's stuff after the war ended. The casualties still stung, even after three years, and they all needed something to occupy themselves with. Getting into Dumbledore's personal quarters took about a month to find, nevertheless unlock. Ron and Harry spent a lot of time doodling in library books as Hermione devoured book after book, trying to find a spell or charm that would open the door. When she finally did find it, Dumbledore's quarters were so filthy from its years of neglect that they spent yet another week cleaning it. However, after going through the quarters, they found a treasure trove. Dumbledore's personal library was full of books, both ancient and modern, that made the Hogwarts library look childish. The piece of parchment that changed their lives once again was in an open book lying on his desk. Dumbledore had left them a letter, which told them to use the paperweight on his desk (a statue of a Fawkes) to go back to Tom Riddle's childhood. Ron and Hermione were to offer assistance as Harry raised Tom in a more loving environment. At first the trio was shocked, but after two weeks of debating about it (Harry was for it, Ron was against it, and Hermione kept changing her mind), they decided to take it for the sake of the dead. After they withdrew money from their bank accounts, packed all the personal items they would need, and said goodbye to everyone, they all gathered in Dumbledore's office and traveled through time.

Harry thought he was going to be sick when they landed. The paperweight acted like a port key, except it was about a hundred times stronger. Beside him, Hermione was laying down on her back while Ron wretched into the grass. Dobby, who had agreed to go with Harry, was fine, and had had the sense to carry phials of stomach smoothening potions with him. The world in the 1930's, much to Harry's surprise, wasn't much different than the Wizarding World in the 1990's. While the people were different and the some of the shops weren't the same, the ways that things worked was pretty much the way it would be sixty years.

Before they reached the bank, Hermione had the foresight to see that they would need to change their last names. The Weasley's and the Potter's were well known even then, and strangers who seemed to appear out of nowhere would certainly raise more suspicion than they wanted. Harry decided to use the name Peverell because the invisibility cloak would give him access to the family vaults and the family had died out long before 1936. Ron and Hermione (who had married him about a year after the war), used the common surname of Lowe. The names sounded foreign to them, and for a month they had to remind themselves of their new identities often.

While Ron and Hermione opened a new vault to put their valuables and savings in, Harry used the Peverell family vault. Anxious about a financial future, he had managed to shrink all of the galleons, Knuts, and gold that had been in his parent's vault and Sirius's vault into jam it all into three Ziploc bags that he had taken with him. However, he was astounded at the amount of gold and family treasures that had been locked away in the Peverell vaults. After taking a few journals and some furnishings, Harry left most of his money in the fault and opened two vaults for Dobby and Tom to use.

The Peverell's had also left land to their next descendant, which would become visible once the descendant signed a contract with Gringott's saying that he would keep the land in the family and wouldn't sell it or use it for commercial purposes. That afternoon, the trio flew to the land to see what was on it. There was a huge manor on the grounds, but went they went inside it was completely inhabitable due to its years of neglect. However, there were smaller houses on the grounds as well, which were easier to repair. Harry took one that was built out of tan brick and had a brown roof. It had a spacious living room and an open kitchen, as well as four bedrooms and three bathrooms. While it was bigger than what he planned on buying, it had a homey feel to it and would support a larger family if it needed to. Ron and Hermione's house was about the same, except theirs was made of grey stone and had a black roof. Dobby, at the insistence of Harry, finally settled on a small cottage that looked cozy enough. The trio managed to renovate and decorate the houses quickly, much to their surprise. Afterwards, Harry, Ron, and Dobby worked on the landscape of the property while Hermione shopped for furniture to fill all four houses. Ron discovered a quidditch field that he quickly repaired and a swimming pool that he fixed as Harry renovated the green house.

From there, Hermione forced them to get jobs so they would have a steady income and make connections in the Wizarding World. She got a job in the Ministry as a researcher for all departments, much to her delight. Both Harry and Ron decided to join the Aurors. All three were glad that they brought their O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. reports with them; Harry and Hermione were especially glad that Ron knew how to change the dates and signatures of the reports to match the time period. While the three made new acquaintances, they all were hesitant to reveal too much about their pasts.

After three weeks of settling into their new lives, the trio decided that it was time to track down Tom Riddle. Luckily, the pensive that Dobby found in the manor worked well, and Harry was able to use Dumbledore's memories to find Wool's orphanage.

The first thing that he noticed was that the place was filthy and run down. No wonder Tom hated it here, Harry thought, as he opened the door. Harry, Hermione, and especially Ron had to convert to calling Voldermort by his real name when they changed times. Mrs. Cole, quite a stern looking woman, had bought into his story about Paris and didn't really seem to care either. She gave him a folder and left it with him while she went to go fetch Tom.

Tom was apparently ten when Harry got him, and wouldn't get his letter for Hogwarts until December. December 26, Harry mentally stored it in his head. Judging by the figures, Tom was tall for his age and wasn't underfed, which Harry was grateful for. His grades were strong, which wasn't surprising. However, Harry was concerned about the comments about Tom's behavior towards other children. Around the age of four, Tom had begun to display aggressive behavior towards children at school and at the orphanage. He had hung some kid name Billy's rabbit after he claimed to have been bullied, and he stole other kids' personal belongings. While he behaved for adults, he had been punished at least twice for getting into fights on the playground. Yes, Harry was definitely concerned. He wasn't too concerned about the odd happenings that were also reported in Tom's file. Harry knew that Tom was a parstlemouth, so reports of him hissing at a garden snake didn't bother him too much. And the bouts of magic didn't really concern him either. Harry was surprised to read two details in his files though. He learned that Tom had nightmares occasionally that had him screaming and crying late into the night until someone calmed him down. And then he wouldn't share anything about them. Harry was more surprised to find out that Tom had a history of wetting the bed when placed in new situations. While it wasn't unusual for a child of Tom's background, it was still odd to think of the Dark Lord wetting his bed.

Tom had looked neither delighted nor excited to see Harry, which was what he expected. As he told Tom the same story he told Mrs. Cole, Harry could feel Tom's eyes studying him. He knew that Tom didn't fully believe his lie, yet he knew that Tom wouldn't turn him down either. When Tom asked him why he came to see him, Harry went straight to the purpose of his trip, knowing Tom would hate it if he engaged him in idle chitchat. Tom didn't answer right away. He looked outside the window as if contemplating something, and then looked back at Harry and nodded his head yes.

Harry waited on Tom's bed as the boy gathered his clothes, personal items, and an odd assortment of items into his school bag. The boy was silent, and Harry let him be. He noticed as Tom glanced around the orphanage one last time before they left, although he doubted that Tom had any feelings of attachment towards the place.

" Tom, I know about the odd things that have happened to you." Harry said as they advanced towards the Leakey Cauldron. Tom stopped in his tracks.

" You do?" He asked bluntly, looking at Harry as he waited for Harry to say more. Harry wouldn't take him back; he had already seen the instances before Mrs. Cole had brought him out.

" We're about to go to my house by the way of floo powder. It's a transportation device that Wizards use sometimes to go from place to place." Harry told him as he swung open the door. " I know that this is a really crappy and blunt way to put tell you this, but you're a wizard Tom."

Tom stopped walking again and turned to face Harry. His mind told him to bolt form this madman; magic and magical beings such as wizards did not exist. However, it was a logical explanation to all the levitations he caused and his ability to speak to snakes.

Harry could tell that the boy was shocked and almost didn't believe him. He put a hand on Tom's shoulder and guided him through the pub. Tom stared at the wizards and witches and their strange attire, his mind still in shock. Harry stopped in front of a fireplace and got a bowl of green powder.

" This is called floo powder, which activates the floo system. Throw a handful of the powder into the fireplace and yell ' Peverell House Number One", and then jump into the fire -place. I'll go first to show you." Harry then did exactly what he told Tom to do and went landed gracefully into his house moments later.

Tom stared at the powder in his hand and peered into the fireplace. Harry was gone. He was still suspicious, but needed Harry. Tom threw the powder down and jumped into the fireplace, just as Harry had done.


	3. Chapter 3

A Second Chance: Chapter 3

Disclaimer: None of J. K. Rowling's characters or places are mine and I unfortunately do not make a profit off of this

Tom landed on his feet, feeling jolted after his trip through the floo.

" I see that you got here alright. Did you have a nice trip?" Harry asked, looking at Tom. The boy's clothes, which had been ratty to begin with, were now covered with ash and soot. So were Harry's clothes, but he changed quickly using magic. Besides his clothes, Tom looked fine for someone who had just been told that he was a wizard.

" I guess," Tom mumbled. " Is the floo always this messy?"

" No, not usually. I just moved into this house a few weeks ago, and I haven't had the chance to fully clean the fireplace. There's still a bunch of muck up there that has been building up for years." Harry told him. " You should probably go shower, I got my friend to get some new clothes for you to change into when you're done. You bathroom is upstairs, first door to the right. "

" Alright." Tom agreed, surveying his surroundings for the first time. Normally he would have put up a fight for being ordered around, especially by someone he barely knew, but he was too drained to do it. Plus, he really was dirty from the fireplace. He immediately liked Harry's house though. While it wasn't the huge manor he dreamed of, Harry's house had a rich feel due to the decorations (all done by Hermione). The walls of the living room, kitchen, and dining area were dark beige. The couch was white, with brown chairs and a dark coffee table. There was a magnificent chandelier hanging above the dining room table, which was made of a dark mahogany. The kitchen had beautiful dark cabinets and a beautiful, stainless steel sink (that Harry had brought from home so he knew he had a sink he could make a mess in. Adjacent to the living room was a study that Harry had crammed a few bookshelves and a desk into. The bottom floor was also host to some paintings that Tom recognized, which added to the rich feeling. The hallway was also painted the same color, and there were a few framed photographs hanging on the walls. Tom stared at one of them. It was of a man who looked extremely like Harry twirling with a red haired woman…the woman in his nightmares. He looked at another photograph, of Harry on a broomstick playing some sort of game, and focused on the oddity that all the photos shared. The people in them _moved_. Tom must had stood there for about five minutes watching the pictures move when he suddenly heard footsteps.

" That game is called Quidditch. It's kinda like football except you fly on a broomstick. I would tell you more, but my friend Ron thinks that it's better to show someone Quidditch instead of trying to explain it. " He held out some a pair of pants and a collard shirt, as well as some undergarments. " Go take your shower."

Tom seemed to like the place, which Harry was glad. He was extremely grateful for Hermione's help in decorating the rooms in his house, especially Tom's. While he would have loved Ron's idea of a Quidditch themed room, Hermione had argued that Tom would prefer a room that seemed mature that had book cases. Harry hoped that she was right. While Harry went to adopt Tom, Ron and Dobby set up Tom's room while Hermione shopped for a basic wardrobe, books, and supplies for him. Ron and Hermione wanted to meet the boy the night Harry brought him home, but Harry thought that it would be better to wait a day or two before he introduced Tom to them. Ron dragged Hermione away for the weekend instead for a much-needed Romantic vacation in muggle London.

Tom emerged from the shower feeling cleaner than he had ever felt before. He felt a sense of dignity wearing clothes that were his and his alone as well. In the orphanage, he'd only worn hand-me-downs from the older kids. Suddenly, there was a loud popping sound and an elfish-looking creature dressed in a pillowcase and socks appeared in front of him. Tom backed into the wall and was about to shout for

Harry when the creature introduced himself to him.

" Hello, my name is Dobby, Dobby the house elf. Are you new master Tom?" the creature asked, looking at Tom with bright blue eyes.

" For the last time Dobby, you're a …a free elf!" Harry shouted. He clambered up the stairs. " Tom, this is Dobby. As he's probably stated, he's a house elf. House elves are usually tied to a master as a personal servant; however, Dobby here is a free elf." He looked directly at Dobby when he said the last sentence. He then turned towards Tom. " Do you want to see you new room?" he asked, guiding the boy into the bedroom across the hall.

Tom's room was nicer than he could have ever imagined. The walls were light blue while the floors were dark wood. A desk filled with supplies stood against one wall while bookshelves filled the back of the room. A large wardrobe filled with clothes sat between two of the shelves, and the drawers under it held new undergarments and socks. The bed was the nicest part though. It was a double four-poster bed that had a beautiful green bedspread on it. Above his bed was a painting of the London cityscape. A painting of the first airplanes was hung above his desk. Harry watched the boy's mouth drop in awe.

" You didn't have to do this you know." Tom said, turning towards Harry.

" It wasn't a problem, I wanted to do this for you. " Harry replied, looking at Hermione's work. " I… a friend of mine grew up in conditions similar to yours. He lived with his aunt and uncle though, who were quite a nasty couple. I…I saw what they did to him, how they treated him because of his magical talents. I just want to give you what my friend never had." Harry told Tom, connecting his eyes with the boy.

" Thank you." Tom whispered as he sat on his new bed. Harry wasn't expecting any types of thanks at all from Tom, so he was almost shocked. He awkwardly patted the boy on the back and headed downstairs to fix dinner.

Much to his dismay, Dobby already had it out on the table. " Dobby, just let me fix dinner once. I told you, you're a free elf. You don't need to serve me or Tom." Harry said, looking at the elf.

" I loves looking after Harry Potter sir. I want to help you." Dobby responded as he put the last dish on the table.

" Thanks Dobby, but really, let me cook for you once." Harry said. "Tom, dinner's ready!" he shouted up the stairs. He heard the quick shuffle of feet coming down the stairs.

" Did you fix all this?" Tom asked, staring at the table. He'd never seen so much food in his life.

" Dobby was kind and fixed it for us…Oh come on now, Dobby, eat with us!" Harry motioned a chair out for Dobby. Tom was silent for most of the meal, scarfing down the food. While he had eaten enough at the orphanage, the food at Harry's was spectacular. He listened though as Harry and Dobby talked about mundane things such as the weather and things that needed to get done around the house.

" You can stay here or go do something else." Harry suddenly said. Tom looked down to see that his plate was empty. He chided himself for looking so eager at his first meal at Harry's. " Do you want more food?" Harry asked, looking at the boy.

" No, I'm full. I'm going to go read one of the new books." Tom responded as he got up.

" Lights out at ten, ok." Harry told him, looking at him sternly. Harry doubted the boy wouldn't argue with him, but Tom just said he would go to bed at ten and left. Harry was grateful that the boy wasn't going to argue with him, he probably wanted a bit of stability before reverting back to his ways. Unfortunately, Harry did not know the extent of the boys nightmares that were yet to come.


	4. Chapter 4

A New Beginning: 4

* Author's Note: This Story is in fact called A New Beginning…I realized that I had accidently labeled the top of the others chapters differently*

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of places created by J. K. Rowling, and I do not make any money off of this.

Tom hustled to his room and opened one of the drawers under the wardrobe to find underwear and socks piled neatly within it. Another one held swim and athletic wear, and the one under it was empty. He gently put his trophies in it. The one to the right of the top drawer had about three pairs of pajamas in it. He took a pair of blue striped bottoms out and a white t-shirt and changed into them. Then he went into the bathroom and washed his face and teeth so he could just turn the lights out when he got settled in bed. Afterwards, he went back to the bookshelves and studied the multitude of books.

Harry or someone else had a knack for organization. The shelves seemed to be categorized and the books were alphabetized by title. While only one case held books, Harry had obviously spent a ton of money to buy so many. There was a biography section, a history section, three shelves full of fiction, and the bottom shelf was devoted to Quidditch and some place called Hogwarts. Tom assumed that some of the books were only from the Wizarding world because he didn't recognize some of the strange names. After looking at his selection, Tom grabbed a book called _Hogwarts: A History _and climbed into bed.

Downstairs, Harry was busy filling out all the papers that he would need to show his relations to Tom in the magical world. He had contacted the ministry before he left to get the child and gotten the papers necessary so he could get the adoption certified as quickly as possible.

Harry threw some floor powder into the fireplace and stuck his head inside.

" Hey, Hermione, can you stop snogging Ron for two minutes and help me out here?" He called out, looking at the hotel room couch that Ron and Hermione were currently snuggling on.

" This is only the first time today…What's wrong? Is Tom ok?" she asked, looking at the fireplace as Ron looked at Harry in concern.

" Tom's fine. The problem is his adoption papers for the magical world. I have no idea how to transfer some of this stuff. Can I just come in so you can take a look for yourself?" Harry asked.

" Yeah sure, will Tom be alright by himself?"

" He'll be fine." " Tom, I'm going to floo down to my friend's place really quickly. I'll be gone for about an hour. Will you be alright?" Harry yelled up the stairs. He heard a muffled yes and flooed into Ron and Hermione's room.

An hour and a half later, Harry landed back in his home. Thankfully, Hermione had figured out what to do with the papers and helped him finish them so he could owl them to the ministry in the morning. He looked at his now soot covered clothes and then up the fireplace, promising himself that he would get Dobby and Tom to help him clean it the next day. After he showered and changed into his pajamas, he went into Tom's room to put the boy to bed.

Harry almost laughed when he walked in. Tom was lying in his bed, snoring softly. _Hogwarts: A History _lay on his face, his small nose kept his page marked. Harry was glad to see that the child had put his pajamas on before getting in bed. He was also glad Tom didn't notice the mattress pad that Ron had placed under his sheets. Harry didn't think he could take an argument over the thing after the tiring day he had. Harry gently removed the book from Tom's face, making sure to mark his place with a bookmark. He then tucked the covers over the boy and hesitantly placed a small kiss on the boy's forehead. He then turned out the lamp by Tom's bed and closed the door. Harry then slipped into his bedroom and fell into a deep sleep.

It was about two hours later that Harry woke to a startling scream. Grabbing his wand, Harry followed the sound into Tom's room. The child was thrashing in his bed, tangled in his sheets, as mangled cries escaped his throat. Harry was almost afraid to approach him; usually it was him who woke people up with horrible nightmares, not the other way around. After placing his wand on Tom's bookcase, Harry turned on the lamp beside Tom's bed and sat down next to the child.

Harry knew from experience that any sort of physical touch in this stage would only frighten the child more, so he called out to the boy until Tom's eyes opened and tearfully looked up at him. Harry thought Tom would reach for him or at least acknowledge him, but the boy just stared at him with glazed eyes that were haunted by his dreams.

" Tom, Tom, it's ok, it's ok." Harry cooed as he lifted the child into his arms and sat him on his lap, wincing as he noticed that the boy had wet himself. He hugged the child to his chest, rocking back and forth on the bed as he tried to comfort him. After a while, Tom suddenly threw his arms around the older boy, burying his head into Harry's shoulder, and allowed himself the comfort of Harry's presence as he cried.

Harry rocked the child for what seemed like hours, his heart breaking in empathy as he heard Tom's cries. This is probably the first time that Tom had been held like this and been allowed to show his emotions; at the orphanage, Harry suspected that the matron woke Tom up and calmed him down as hurriedly as possible so she could get back to sleep herself. He was almost certain that Tom was never allowed to cry as long as he needed to. As Harry held the boy, he remembered how he felt after horrible nightmares at his age. No one had ever tried to comfort him or show him that they cared; his Uncle Vernon only came in to bellow at him to stop waking the house up. If he failed to do so, he would have been beaten and left without food for the next day. These memories alone helped Harry forget for the moment who Tom would have grown up to be and see him for the mere child he was as he rubbed the boy's back and whispered soothing things in the Tom's ear.

Tom hated himself for waking up a sobbing mess in the middle of the night like a bloody three year old. He hated himself more for wetting his bed, even though he was asleep when he did so. And He hated himself the most though for failing to refuse Harry's comfort. He liked to think of himself as independent and mature, a boy who could survive with no one. Yet he had fallen into the temptation of Harry's arms because, just once, he wanted to experience the feelings of security and the warmness of one that cared for him. No one had before. So, despite what his pride ordered him to do and the humiliation he felt, Tom unwillingly wrapped his arms around Harry's neck and wept.

Harry finally felt the boy's sobs die down as he continued to rub circles on his back. Since Tom's face was still hidden in the crook of his neck he managed to free one arm to wandlessly clean his sheets. Since Tom was still adjusting to magic and in an incredibly vulnerable state, Harry didn't to let him see magic until the morning. He figured that it would be more calming for Tom to live as he had all his life. Harry then picked Tom up and grabbed another pair of underwear and pajama bottoms. He carried him into the bathroom and sat on the toilet, standing Tom up in front of him. Tom continued to bury his head in Harry's neck as Harry took his soiled bottoms off. He then quickly transfigured a tissue into some wipes and gently cleaned the urine off the boy's bottom, then finally redressed him in clean clothes. Tom's face reddened in humiliation; he never let anymore know directly when he wet the bed. He assumed that they noticed when they found the pile of dirty sheets in the laundry area, but Tom never told anyone when he had an accident. He avoided eye contact with Harry as the older boy slipped his hand into his and led him back to his bedroom.

" Do you want to talk about it?" Harry questioned softly, his eyes looking at Tom's worn face. Tom forced himself to look up and, to his surprise, wanted to tell him. Harry had already seen him in naked from the waist down and had comforted him when he was sobbing like a toddler from a nightmare. He might as well tell him about the dream. Yet he couldn't; he had killed the red haired girl in the picture that hung in Harry's hallway. He couldn't tell Harry. So he just shook his head.

Harry bent down and placed another kiss on the boy's head and left to leave when he barely heard Tom's voice.

"Can you stay until I fall asleep again…please?" Tom whispered as his pride chided him for looking so weak and helpless. Yet Harry came and sat down on his bed, stroking his hair until he fell asleep again.

Tom looked much less stern when he acted like a child, Harry noted, more like someone his age. He didn't look like a potential serial killer; he looked like a child who had endured too much in his short life. Tom wouldn't even be going to Hogwarts in the fall; he would be going to the local primary school for wizards until the next year. Tom, much to Harry's relief, fell asleep quickly. Harry stroked the boy's dark hair once last time and then silently went back into his room to catch up on his sleep.


	5. Chapter 5 - not authors note

A New Beginning

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own any of J.K. Rowling's characters or settings. I do not make a profit off of this either.

Author's Note: (To Alice and all others who are frustrated with my previous author's note that I took down because it bugged me) I did not want to put up an author's note as a chapter. I'm sorry…I usually hate it when people do that too, but I still don't know how to work the site well yet. If anyone knows how to post an author's note without making it a chapter, I'll gladly try to follow any directions. Also, while I'll try to post at least a chapter every weekend, this Spring is going to be extremely stressful (ACT, AP tests, music auditions, exams, etc.,), so I'm going to apologize in advance for any times I cannot post new chapters up. Also, I noticed that my tumblr name just didn't make it, its just .come. (If it doesn't pop up, I have the same name). Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Tom's nightmares frightened Harry. After Tom had fallen asleep again, he suddenly had the uneasy feeling of helplessness. Was he good of enough for Tom? Would he be able to give Tom the childhood he needed? Would he manage to change the course of history? He lay in his bed; tossing and turning, pondering his self worth when he finally decided to end his restlessness and dragged himself once again to the fireplace.

" Sweet Merlin, Harry, do you know what time it is? It's THREE AM IN THE MORNING!" Ron shouted as he peered at his friend's face. He and Hermione had had the most perfect day together. In the morning they had ventured into modern muggle London to sightsee. Ron enjoyed it, even though Hermione talked incessantly about each historical site (" Ron, did you know that…"). They found a lovely little café with what Ron considered to be the best tea in England to eat lunch, and the afternoon was spent shopping in the many quaint stores that lined the streets. They ended the night with _Julius Caesar_, which was absolutely phenomenal. After Harry's visit for the papers, the two delighted themselves in their own way until they fell asleep in each other's arms.

" Do you think I can really do this Ron?" Harry asked, his voice plagued with fatigue.

"Do I think you can do what?" Ron tugged on jeans and a t-shirt as quickly as he could. He then quickly put another blanket on his wife as he scooted closer to the fireplace.

"To raise Tom. I don't know if I can give him what he needs." Harry whispered. Ron studied his friend's face. There were dark circles under Harry's eyes and his looked ragged. He looked as if he hadn't slept at all that night. " He had a nightmare tonight…he woke me up, moaning unintelligible words in his sleep. Then, when he woke up…the cries were horrible Ron. And he wet the bed. He refused to tell me what he was dreaming about though…I thought I gave him enough support. Will he ever trust me? Is it already too late?"

"Harry, you know it's not too late. Just give him time to adjust, I mean, he had lived in virtual hell his whole life and has learned to be suspicious of everyone and punish those who he thinks deserve it. Then you, a stranger, comes along and gives him a home. He probably doesn't know what to do. While he puts up a brave front you know that he's still just a little boy. Harry, Tom isn't Voldermort right now."

Hermione was brought out of her dreams by voices, which whispered quickly and quietly. " Ron…stop gossiping about Quidditch and go to bed…geez, what time is it?" She reached for the clock when she noticed Harry and immediately covered herself with her sheets. " What's wrong?"

Harry proceeded to tell her that night's events and his doubts. " Harry, you're going to be fine. I agree with Ron, you just have to give him time. Maybe you should take him to a psychologist though…he's bound to have some psychological and emotional problems after what he's been through. Also, while we're talking about his health, have you taken him to a doctor to see how healthy he is?"

" Hermione, I've only had him for one day. I'll take him for a checkup in the morning and then take him shopping." Harry said, not wanting to admit that he never thought of taking Tom in for a physical, nevertheless a psychologist.

" Alright, you should go to bed now…you look horrid. Don't doubt yourself so much Harry, you'll be fine." With that, Hermione closed the floo connection as she and Ron snuggled into bed once more.

The next morning came quickly, too quickly. Harry awoke to the sounds of clattering pots. What on earth, he thought, as he threw a bathrobe on and trodded downstairs.

" Good lord Dobby, what are you doing, fixing breakfast for the army?" Harry asked, staring at the elf.

" Dobby wants to make Harry and Tom a good breakfast for Tom's first day. Didn't know what Tom liked, so I fixed everything I know." Dobby replied as he took out a pan of waffles.

" We would have been fine…really, you shouldn't have done this. But thank you..."

" You are very welcome Harry Potter, very welcome. Dobby loves taking care of Harry Potter."

" Just don't cook anymore, ok? Here, come eat with me…" Harry pulled out the chair and grabbed a plate and put it in front of the elf.

Tom was confused when he woke up until he remembered yesterday's events. He was cranky too from the embarrassment of last night and the loss of sleep he had. He wandered into the kitchen to find it packed with food.

" Do you always eat this much?" he asked, staring at the food.

" No, but Dobby wanted to make you your favorite breakfast foods. The only problem was that he didn't know what they were." Harry answered after swallowing down a forkful of waffle.

To be honest, Tom didn't have a favorite food of any sort. He just ate whatever he was given. However, he didn't want Harry and the elf to know how pathetic he was so he grabbed a plate of what he thought was blueberry pancakes and sat down. The three ate in silence, until Dobby got up to preserve the rest of the food.

" Tom, I made an appointment with a pediatrician today, just so I can see how you are. I know they gave me a health record, but I want to have your health checked out just in case. I know we were going to clean the fireplace today, but I think this is more important. Afterwards, we can have lunch in Diagon Alley and then set up a bank account for you at Gringotts and go shopping. Does that sound good to you?" Harry asked as he got up to clean the dishes.

" I guess." Tom shrugged and continued to eat. He listened to Dobby as he told Harry his plans for the day (checking out the manor to see if it could be renovated). After Dobby left, Harry went to a cabinet and pulled out a phial.

" We're not going to floo to St. Mungos, which is where the doctor's office is located. We're going to apparate…I can't really explain it…you'll just have to trust me. Do you want to bring a book in case if we have to wait?" Harry asked, looking at the boy. He mailed Tom's papers to the ministry using an owl a friend had loaned him as Tom grabbed _Hogwarts: A History _from his room. He would need to get an owl soon; he couldn't use Ursula Prince's owl forever. When Tom appeared on the stairs again, Harry took his hand and they apparated to St. Mungos.

Tom felt sick to his stomach as soon as they landed. He felt as if he had been squeezed through a tight tube. To his horror, he felt his breakfast come up and the next thing he knew he was on his knees as he vomited. He felt Harry grab his head and felt some sort of liquid being poured into his mouth. He angrily wiped the tears off of his face as he stared at Harry.

" Sorry about that, it happens to everyone when they apparate for the first time." Harry said as he magically cleaned the vomit away.

" What did you just pour into my mouth?" Tom demanded, glaring at the older boy.

" It's a stomach soother…kinda like Pepto-Bismol, except it works a lot better." Harry said as they walked inside St. Mungos. Tom couldn't help but stare at all witches and wizards as they went about. He almost gagged when Harry led him into the pediatric offices; they were painted in bright colors and there were a ton of kids. He tried to ignore his surroundings as he opened his book and read as Harry signed him in. He felt the other boy sit beside him and looked to see what he was reading. He could only see the words _blood wards. _He would have to ask Harry what those were.

It seemed like forever until they were called in. A nurse who looked too friendly came in to take Tom's temperature, check his hearing and eyesight, and take a urine sample. Afterwards, the doctor came knocked on the door and came in the room. Harry made Tom wait outside the room as he talked to the doctor Tom tried to listen in by pressing his ear against the door, but found that he couldn't.

The doctor seemed nice enough, Tom supposed. He was younger than he expected, young and lean. He had short blonde hair and dark brown eyes, and his name was engraved into his jacket. The checkup went quickly as the doctor seemed to check every part of Tom's body as the boy squirmed uncomfortably on the table.

Harry found out that day that Tom and vaccinations did not mix well. The boy was still on the table dressed in only the gown they had given him when the nurse came in with the tray. While Tom had been given his vaccinations for muggle illnesses, he needed ones for magical diseases such as the dragon pox and a special sort of the flu. The boy began to kick and squirm as the nurse tried to give him the flu shot in the arm, which caused Harry to force him to the table. He then had to flip the boy over so the dragon pox shot could be administered in his bottom. Tom struggled so much that another male nurse had to be called in to help Harry hold Tom down as the nurse gave him the injection. " He's a fighter "the other nurse told Harry as he struggled to hold the boy still. Harry was relieved when it was over. As Tom redressed, Harry made an appointment for him to see a psychologist.

Lunch was better than the checkup. Tom had been revolted at what he thought pumpkin juice would taste like, but he found that he liked it.

After lunch, Harry took Tom to the bank to show him his account. Tom liked the goblins; they did their jobs well and could be manipulated easily. The Peverell vault took his breath away. It was everything he dreamed of, contained in a few rooms inside the vault. Gold and silver were everywhere. Harry withdrew some coins, which Tom learned were called galleons, and took Tom to the vault he sat up for him to finalize the opening of the account.

Afterward, they went shopping. Harry took him to a store called Eeylops Owl Emporium to get an owl. Harry choose a beautiful owl that resembled Hedwig while Tom got one that had brown and white feathers. Afterwards, Harry let Tom look for ten books to add to his shelves as he searched for a book on common household spells. It was in that section when he saw her, a beautiful girl with gorgeous blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes. Unfortunately, she was gone before he could work of the nerve to speak to her. After paying for his and Tom's purchases ( any books that had anything to do with dark magic were left behind), Harry led Tom to Madam Malkin's to get him some dress robes. Tom disliked her immediately, she was too snippy. Harry then bought him some clothes from a children's shop to wear to school in the fall, which seemed to contain the brightest clothing Tom had ever seen. The next stop was to a toy store, which Tom thought he was too mature for. He moped around the shop as Harry bought him a child's potions kit ( which did look interesting), some puzzles, and a train set ( Mrs. Cole had told him that Tom liked trains a lot and often wished for a set to play with). The only thing that Tom had shown any interest in was a stuffed elephant, and the only way Harry knew he wanted it was by the look in the boy's eyes. Tom was too proud to admit that he wanted a stuffed animal.

After a long, tiring day, the two flood back to Harry's house. Tom immediately retreated to his room as Harry set the owls up in the attic. There was a small struggle at bedtime due to Harry's insistence that Tom wear protective covering in his sleep. Tom insisted that he was ok and didn't need the disposable underwear that he felt was being forced on him. However, after a small tantrum that quickly embarrassed him later, Tom finally wore the blasted things and settled into bed. Harry tucked him in and pulled up his desk chair and read to him, which he secretly liked. No one had ever read to him before he slept like that. He could feel himself drifting off as Harry closed the book and turned out his lamp.

Harry smiled to himself later in the night as he watched Tom sleep, his elephant and the blanket he had brought from the orphanage cuddled to his chest.


	6. Chapter 6

A New Beginning Ch. 6

Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own any characters or places (except for original). I also don't make any money off of this."

Author's Note: Thanks for the comments and all. There might be some confusion about Tom's age. I looked this up and I think it's right (if it's not, it's still going to come out this way in the fic since I was riding on this for the plot). Tom is ten-years-old when Harry gets him (he turned ten last December and it is June when Harry gets him…which I didn't make clear. Sorry.) Students receive their Hogwarts letters when they turn eleven, and then they actually attend Hogwarts the school year after they turn eleven. So Tom will turn eleven in December of this year (1937), and will go to Hogwarts in the school year after. The only reason Harry didn't have this wait is because his birthday was in the summer, so when he turned eleven, the next school year was coming right up. I hope that made since. I'm going to start putting up dates though to make things clearer.

June 15, 1937

About a week after adopting Tom, Harry began to notice that the boy had become more comfortable in his new home. He stopped giving Harry that look of astonishment when Harry used magic to do the dishes or put books back on the bookshelves. He had stopped wetting the bed (much to Harry's relief) quickly, and his nightmares recurred less often (although Harry wondered who Tom was screaming about). The most significant change though was in his attitude. Tom wasn't as careful around Harry as he used to be, and while he was more pleasant than Harry expected, still had his moments.

"What on earth are you doing?" Tom asked as he watched Harry walk around borders of the mansion's land with a knife, cutting his palm and chanting in some sort of ancient language. Harry didn't answer him immediately.

" I'm setting up blood wards so intruders can't get in. They also strengthen the binds between me and the mansion."

" Harry, we live in the middle of nowhere. Who would want to break in here?"

_Grindelwald_, Harry thought. He had been reading the _Daily Prophet _for signs of the dark wizard. There hadn't been much action so far, but Harry wanted to in the know so he could protect his small family as best as he could. Tom didn't know about him though, and the last thing Harry wanted to do was talk to Tom about a dark wizard when he had just gotten him. " You can never be too safe Tom. Trust me, I know."

" I still think you're crazy. Plus, you still haven't taught me how to ride my new broom, and you said we have to clean the fireplace, which you've told me we're going to have to do since I got here, before you would because Ron and Hermione would be coming back tonight."

" Go ahead and think so. I will, Merlin Tom, you have to be patient. It's only nine in the morning. There will be _plenty _of time to get everything else done." Harry turned around and resumed setting the blood wards up around the manor.

Ron and Hermione were supposed to come back the weekend after Harry got Tom. Mother Nature had other plans for the two. While there wasn't a huge natural disaster, it rained and stormed in London for days, thus cutting off the floo connections (which Harry didn't understand, but whatever). They thought of apparating, but decided to spend more time together instead. The storms had let up the day before, so the couple decided to return the next day.

Tom snuck off once Harry became engrossed in the wards. Harry was good about letting Tom wander the grounds, as long as he came back when he called. Tom had found a beautiful snake named Nagini, who had quickly become one of the first friends he's had in his life. That morning he found her sunbathing on her usual rock.

"Hi Nagini" he hissed as she woke up.

" Good morning Tom. Has Harry helped you fly on that ridiculous broom yet...Dear, you hand me that rat right there, it's so warm on this rock and I'm so hungry."

" No, he hasn't yet. We still have to clean that bloody fireplace first. " Tom grabbed the unfortunate rat and put it next to the snake, who quickly bit into it and gulped it in one mouthful.

" Excellent. You know what dearie; you need playmates of your own. You don't want some old snake like me as your only friend." She drawled, as she gazed up at the boy. Harry had expressed his concerns to the snake about Tom's resistance to the idea of meeting other children to her in the hopes that she could encourage him to go with Harry to meet some children his age. Tom didn't know of these conversations though.

" Kids my age are stupid. All they do is play and make dumb noises and they don't care about anything."

" Isn't there at least a small part of you that wants to belong, to feel like a child?

" No."

" Alright, but would you try it? For me?"

" No."

" Alright."

The two lay in the sun together and talked until Tom heard Harry call for him. He ran to the living room, where Harry had gotten out all of the fireplace cleaning supplies out and was reading up on how to do it successfully.

" Are you finally ready?"

"Come here…now this is the…" Harry motioned Tom towards him and showed him how to use the magical brushes the clean inside the fireplace. Then, they both got up in it and began to clean. This was the first real thing that they had done together; Harry liked it. Tom seemed to have fun doing it too, sometimes letting out a child-like yell as ash would fall on him. By the end of it, both boys were covered in soot and cobwebs, but the fireplace was cleaner than ever.

" Ok, go get a shower as I get this cleaned up, alright?" Harry said as he magically cleaned himself and then cleaned up the mess in the living room before taking a shower himself. After he emerged from the shower, he quickly made some BLT sandwiches for lunch. Tom ate hurriedly as he tried to get finished as quickly as possible. While he didn't have much of an interest in Quidditch and riding brooms initially, he had become fascinated once he read a book about it. Harry had surprised him with his own broom as well, but wouldn't teach him until the weather improved.

Once outside, he couldn't stop his excitement from showing as he waited for Harry to come with the brooms. Harry smiled to himself as he saw the boy. He had never seen Tom this excited before.

" Ok, so, some quick rules about the brooms. One, you never go flying without me, and later Ron or Hermione. Nagini the snake doesn't count. Two, you listen and obey to all instructions. If you break rules one or two, you will get a level three punishment. Do you understand?" Tom nodded.

Harry was quite proud of his idea for a punishment system. Tom had never had stability in his life before, so Harry didn't want him to be afraid of punishments. A level one was for minor offenses, such as refusing to obey rules ( except for rules on flying or leaving the grounds) or talking rudely; these punishments were to do minor chores or have something taken away. A level two punishment was for tantrums and physical/ verbal actions that were inappropriate, such as swearing or hitting; these punishments ended up with both the punishment for a level one offense and time in the reflection room (a room that consisted of only an old couch, a potty chair, and nothing else). A level three punishment was for the breaking of a major rule, which included leaving the grounds without permission, continuing in unacceptable behavior, and the breaking of the broom rules; it was the punishment that Harry dreaded the most. He would take away all of Tom's privileges, give him time in the reflection room, and give the boy a spanking. Fortunately, Tom had only had a level two offense for refusing to clean the dishes and throwing a fit about it so far.

" Ok, so, to activate your broom, go to the left side of the broom, stick your right hand out, and say 'up' in a very convincing voice. Ready?"

Tom, Harry found, was like Hermione when it came to flying for the first time. The boy wasn't very natural at it. But he seemed to like the challenge of it. They flew for about an hour before they went in to prepare a meal for Ron and Hermione. Tom read at the table as Harry prepared steak and mashed potatoes for Ron and Hermione's arrival. It was his best meal, probably because it was one of Dudley's favorites.

Ron and Hermione appeared right as Harry set the meal on the table.

" Hey Harry, what's up? Is that Tom?' Ron asked as he gave his best friend a hug.

" Ron, don't be so impolite, you'll scare him." Hermione scolded as she smoothed the wrinkles in her robe.

" Don't worry, it's fine. It's great to see you two!" Harry said as he gave Hermione a hug. " Tom, come here."

He drew Tom to him. " Tom, these are my friends that I've been talking about. This is Ron, and that Hermione next to him."

" How are you?" Hermione asked as she shook the boy's hand. She studied him. Tom had pale skin and dark brown hair that sat evenly on his head. His frame was lean, and his eyes were dark and questioning.

" Good." Tom muttered as he unconsciously leaned into Harry a bit more.

" I heard that Harry taught you how fly a broom. Isn't it the most awesome feeling ever?" asked Ron.

" I liked it…especially when I was high up." Tom said as he looked at Harry's friends. He ate in silence as Harry, Ron, and Hermione talked during the meal. They seemed interesting; there was no doubt that there was a bond between the three. Later, they sat together on the couch as Ron shared stories about their childhood. Tom laughed, especially after Ron told him about the time he and Harry stole Ron's dad's muggle car and flew it to the school called Hogwarts. He decided he liked Hermione more than Ron though. She seemed brilliant and was kind to him.

He didn't notice that he was getting tired until he felt himself yawn. " It's time for bed." Harry said as he stood up to take the boy to his bedroom.

" I can read the next chapter out of _The Hardy Boys_ to you, if you'd like." Hermione said as she got up.

" Ok."

When they got up there, Hermione waited as Tom changed into his pajamas. The boy didn't seem like she thought he would be. She expected Tom to be snarky and angry. He seemed sweet and quiet, not the type to become a future dark lord. Harry told her later that he could become angry quickly though and had his moments though. Still, the situation seemed better than it could have been. Dumbledore had been smart to send them to a time before Tom had heard of magic, so he wasn't filled with the anti-muggle prejudice he had when he was older. She read to him as he snuggled under the covers. Flying and cleaning had tired him, and he was out like a light before he knew it. Harry talked to Ron and Hermione for a few more minutes before they left for their house. Grateful that Tom seemed to like his friends, Harry stumbled to his bed and fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

A New Beginning

*Disclaimer: I don't own any characters or places except for my own creations*

* Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry it's taken so long. AP exams are coming up, and I just recently got a job, so my time is limited. I'll try to update as regularly as possible, but I have found that I just cannot make any sort of promises. Again, I'm so sorry. But thanks for continuing to follow the story, and continue to review! *

Ch. 7

The next morning came quickly, too quickly for Harry. Yawning, he rose from his bed and checked on Tom. He sighed with relief when he saw Tom's figure curled up under the covers, an arm hung limply off the side of the bed. Harry was careful to be quiet as he stepped out of the room and went down to the fireplace.

"Mrs. Prince, I'm sorry to bother you so early. Can you look after my son Tom today? I can't take any more time off from work, and Ron and Hermione have to work as well?" he asked after he threw some floo powder into the fireplace. He supposed that he should have at least tried to make his unruly hair presentable, but he was too hurried to try and make a better impression on the young mother.

Harry had met Elisabetta Prince on a trip to the market a few days before he had gotten Tom by literally running into her and falling into a shelf of goods. His face red with embarrassment, Harry introduced himself to her after he helped her up. Elisabetta didn't seem to mind too much though. She just shrugged it off and offered to help him re-shelve the goods. Harry learned that she lived pretty close to his property, was married to a wealthy pureblood, and had a three-year-old daughter named Eileen (it was a bit later that he was stricken with the realization that Eileen Prince was, without a doubt, the future mother of Professor Snape…). He told her the same lie about his past that he had told everyone else that he met, and was thankful that she seemed to believe him. He then proceeded to tell her about her about his plans to adopt Tom. Elisabetta was very encouraging and told him to firecall her anytime if he needed her to watch him. He met with her a few other times and found that she was very intelligent and loved to have conversations about just about anything, including politics in the muggle world. Her husband, Georg, was also extremely kind-hearted, but a bit too passionate about his investments.

It took a few minutes before she came into view. Like Harry, her hair was still messy from sleep and she was in her nightclothes.

" No, it' fine. I can look after Tom after seven, but I would have to take him with Eileen when I go to Beth Kirkland's house for a book club meeting. There will be other children there though for him to meet though. Has he met any other kids yet?"

"That's fine, I can't thank you enough. Do you know who else's kids will be there that are around Tom's age? I haven't exactly tried to find ways for Tom to meet other kids yet."

" Cynthia McDermott's son Kevin will be there, he's ten or eleven. Then there's little Bella Donahue, she's around twelve. And there's one more…oh, and Reuben Knott, he's twelve. Usually Elle Malfoy's son Abraxas comes, although he has started staying by himself since he's gotten older. The rest of the children are a bit younger though. I'm sure Tom will be fine."

" Thank you so much. Tom and I will floo in after seven." With that Harry ended the call and went on to make breakfast.

After about twenty minutes of the sound of clattering dishes, Tom came down. Unlike Harry, he was already dressed in a white button down and black pants. His dark hair, darker than usual from the wetness of his shower, was combed neatly. The only indicator that he had been asleep just an hour ago was the small traces of sleep lodged within the corners of his eyes.

" Did you have a good night Tom?" Harry asked as he handed his son a plate.

" Yeah, it was alright. Why can't I stay here by myself?" Tom asked as he prodded at his breakfast with his fork.

Harry sighed. " We've been over this Tom. You're only ten years old and I don't know this town well enough to let you run around without any supervision for a long period of time yet. I'll probably give you more freedom as I get used to this arrangement though. "

" But Harry"

" You'll be fine Tom. You've met Mrs. Prince before, and she's going to take you to her book club to meet other kids."

" Why do I need to meet other kids? I knew other kids at the orphanage and they were all brats."

" Just try to make friends, ok Tom? I've got to go shower and drop you off. I can't be late for work." Harry ate quickly, trying to ignore Tom's grumbles of having to be dropped off. He would try it for the week and see how he felt about letting Tom stay at home alone later. Dobby would have been perfectly happy to watch the boy, but Harry wanted the elf to adjust to a free life. At the time, Dobby was fixated on restoring the mansion.

After a shower and multiple attempts to make his hair look more presentable, Harry knocked on Tom's door.

"Do you have your books and all? We need to leave." The door swung open sharply and Tom came out with a bag full of books.

" I still think I can stay here."

" I'll think about it. Come on, I'm running late." Harry rushed them to the fireplace and they floo'd to the Prince Manor.

Tom landed with a thud. He was still in awe of the Wizarding world, and was enthralled with the manor's elegant decorations that must have been centuries old.

Mrs. Prince came over with a small girl hanging to her skirts.

" Thanks again for watching Tom. Here, take some sickles."

" Don't bother Harry. Hello Tom, how are you?" she asked as she picked her daughter up.

" Alright." He shrugged.

Harry said goodbye to them quickly and floo'd to the Auror Department.

" Sorry I'm late, I had to find someone to look after Tom."

" Don't worry. Here, you're on patrol in Diagon Alley." His supervisor handed him his schedule and sent him out after he clocked in.

The day went by pretty slowly from there on. Harry walked around the alley; the only crime he had to take care of was a teenage wizard tried to pick a pocket of another wizard, oblivious to the fact that most wizards used anti-theft charms. Harry was glad that Grindelwald wasn't appearing to be too active though. The thought of battling another dark wizard was overbearing. He was content to live quietly, something he would have never been able to do in his past life.

He bumped into her after lunch.

" Excuse me, I didn't mean to run into you."

" No, it's fine."

It was when she looked into his eyes that his heart seemed to melt. The feeling he got, it was different from when he fell in love with Ginny. His relationship with her had been built on the need for comfort and security in times of turmoil. After the war, he and Ginny found that they just had irreconcilable differences, and were just not meant to be. However, this girl was different.

She was around twenty, with olive skin, dark brown eyes, and chocolate colored hair that fell in curls around her slender face. She was dressed as if she were wealthy, yet she didn't have the usual air of arrogance that seemed to surround wealthy pureblood families.

" I'm Harry Po…Peverell." He managed to stumble out while he gawked at her.

" It's nice to meet you. My names Adelaide Knott." She said as she shook hands with him. She took in the young auror, trying to figure out how a Peverell has suddenly appeared in London.

" Would you..um..would you want to go for some butterbeer? There's not much going on right now and…"

" I'd love to." She said as she took his hand. " Do you want to go to the Leaky Cauldron?"

Harry thought that he was in heaven as she guided him through the alley into the pub, and couldn't even remember ordering his drink. He vaguely remembered Theodore Nott from his days at Hogwarts and wondered if the Knott and Nott families were related, but he was so mesmerized by the young witch that he could hardly concentrate on anything else. It wasn't even that she was stunningly beautiful; there was something about her that felt magical, like there was a link that connected their souls the moment they looked at each other.

" So where are you from, I thought the Peverells had died out?" she asked as they waited for their drinks.

" I was born in France…" he began as he proceeded to tell her the lie he was now used to telling. However, something in him felt horrible as he continued to lie to her about his childhood in France and his past.

" So, what's your background?" he asked her while he sipped on his drink.

" I'm from the Knott family, a pureblood family closely related to the Notts. There was a misunderstanding a few generations back, and that's when our ancestors split. I grew up outside of London, and I work at St. Mungos after having worked as an intern there for a year after I graduated cum laude from Hogwarts. I have an older sister, Jacqueline, and an older brother named Charles. What do you do?"

" I recently joined the Aurors a few months ago; however, I just took a bit of time off. I just adopted a young boy from a muggle orphanage."

" Is he magical?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at the young wizard. Certainly an auror would know not to bring muggles into their world.

" Of course, he's a relative of mine. I found out about him after doing some family research."

" Why did you want to take him in though?" She asked curiously.

" He needed me, and I was getting lonely. My friends moved into one of the cottages on the Peverell grounds, but I wanted a family."

" Oh…that's sweet." She finally said. " Are you married?"

" No, Tom's the only family I have. I'm not dating either. Are you single?" He asked, then mentally cursed himself for seeming so blunt and desperate.

" No, I just broke up with my boyfriend a few months ago. It was…it was pretty ugly."

" I'm sorry I brought it up."

" No, it's alright. It's just a thing of the past now."

Time seemed to fly by as the two talked to one another and learned more about each other. Harry tried to reveal as much about him as he could, but was grateful when the conversation shifted back to her. He learned that Adelaide's favorite class was charms, and that she was extremely enthusiastic about politics. She loved painting and horseback riding, as well as studying muggle history and culture. She was a pureblood, but her side of the Knott-Nott family was extremely accepting of muggles. He noticed that she was very cultured and elegant as well, yet she was fun and had a laugh that could compete with no other.

" I need to get back to work now, but would you want to go out sometime?" Harry asked as he paid for their drinks.

" I'd love to Harry" Adelaide found herself saying. She wasn't sure why she was attracted to the nervous young man in front of her. She'd vowed that she would avoid courting men for a while after her relationship ended, yet Harry intrigued her. He was awfully handsome, and it was obvious that he was educated and wealthy. The fact that he took in an orphaned boy at such a young age astonished her as well, and she loved the mysterious aura that seemed to surround him. She felt a deeper connection with him than she had ever felt with anyone before.

Harry left for home that day with a sense of hope that, for the first time, he could make real progress of having a family for himself. Even though he had just met Adelaide, there was just something about her that he just knew that she was the one. He grinned to himself like twelve-year-old schoolboy in love as he knocked on Mrs. Prince's door, his fingers fiddling with the piece of parchment with Adelaide's address scribbled upon it.


End file.
